Secured Container Deployment via Ephemeral Key Negotiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current remote management of edge software containers in industrial control systems requires human intervention for authentication and authorization, and relies on predefined security standards and data API contracts, which is inefficient and insecure.
Innovation Solution
A method for secured deployment of containers using a secure element manager that negotiates an ephemeral key with containers to access a message broker, enabling authentication and authorization without human intervention and without sharing security secrets, allowing containers to connect and exchange data independently of existing API contracts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual intervention is executed to authenticate and authorize containers, then security is enhanced, but deployment efficiency and automation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The container performs self-authentication by generating a random secret and exchanging it with the secure element manager to derive a shared secret. The container automatically retrieves credentials from the secure element without human intervention, enabling autonomous authentication and authorization while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The secure element pre-stores credentials and security contexts before the container needs to access them. The system prepares authentication materials in advance so that when a container deploys, it can immediately retrieve and use pre-configured credentials without manual setup
2Reliability
If predefined data API contracts are used for data exchange, then data exchange reliability is improved, but system flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The message broker acts as an intermediary that enables data exchange between containers without requiring them to agree on predefined contracts. The broker handles message routing, formatting, and delivery automatically, allowing containers to publish and subscribe to data independently while maintaining reliable communication
Solution Approach 2:
The message broker provides a universal interface that supports multiple data formats and communication patterns simultaneously. Any container can publish or subscribe to any data topic through the broker without needing to establish specific contracts, enabling flexible and adaptable data exchange across the system
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes an edge server for a secured deployment of a container in the edge server. The system also includes a secure element and a message broker that routes messages from containers, wherein a container is deployed in the edge server. The system further includes a secure element manager configured to negotiate with the deployed container to agree on an ephemeral key, by exchanging messages containing values derived from shared secrets. The secure element manager retrieves a secret identifier from the secured element and encrypts the secret identifier with the ephemeral key. The container retrieves the encrypted secret identifier from the secure element manager, decrypts the encrypted secret identifier with the ephemeral key, accesses the secured element using the decrypted secret identifier, and retrieves credentials generated by the secured element in order to connect with the message broker.